Separation of wax from mineral oil by filtration



Oct. 25, 19358. 2,134,331

y SEPARATION OF WAI` FROM MINERAL OIL BY FILTRATION W. P.- GEE 4 Sheds-Sheet 1 l Filed March 31, 1934 mQEM, ww

rm DN INvENToR ATTORNEY Wk @NR ik I 1. l m, QMRRSQ W. PA GEE 2,134,331 n SEPARATION OF WAX FROMl MINERAL OIL BY FILTRATION Oct. 25, 1938.

Filed March 31, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet, 2

w;l P. GEF. l2,134,331

SEPARATION OF WAX FROM MINERAL OIL BY FILTRATION Oct. 25, 1938.

Filed March 31, 1934 4 sheets-snaai 5 y Klv@ INVENTOR BYv WAM,

fw ATTORNEY 4 sheets-sheet '4 @wee/7 W. P. GEE

Filed March 3l Fkk-up of' e/'/y ifea /7/y SEPARATION OF WAX FROM MINERAL BY FILTRATION Oct. 25, 1938.

INVENTOR W/Y///r/f/.gee

BY /z/s A TORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1938 kSEPARATION FA WAX FROM'. MINERAL BY FILTRATION william P. Gee, Plainfield, N. 1.-,'assimor :one Texas Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 31, 193:4, Serial No. .718,347 y l 4 Claims.

` VThis invention relates to an improved process of dewaxing mineral oil by filtration, and to an improved process of continuous filtration applicable thereto: and the presentapplication is t a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 607,270, filed April 25, 1'932.

'I'he invention contemplates a process of filtering solid hydrocarbons or paramn wax vfrom liquid ing a hollow filtering surface within a cold mixture of solid and liquid hydrocarbons during inder from which it is withdrawn asfltrate.

which solid hydrocarbons are deposited on the surface to form a lter cake while the liquid Y ows through the surface into itsinterior, then moving the surface out of the mixture through a zone of cake washing, dryingl and discharge while maintaining the filter cake and filtering surface at a temperature below that "at which the solid hydrocarbons tend to soften or liquefy. During passage of the lter surface through this zone, chilled gas is forced through the cake and the lter surface to maintain the cake and surface in a cold condition thus preventing vsoftening or re-solution of the wax in the liquid contained in. thevcake, or applied thereto as a wash, `with consequentpenetration and plugging of the filter 4fabric by the dissolved waxy material.

My invention may be employedfin connection with either continuous or intermittent filters. One form of lter may, for example, comprise a hollow rotating cylinder or hollow rotating leaves with means for creating vacuum within the inpartially submerged in -the Afiltering mixture.

Solids are deposited on the submerged portion of the surface to form a cake while liquid ows through the surface into the interior of the cyl- As the. cylinder rotates the cake is exposed whereupon it may be dried and washed byapplying `solvent liquid to the surface ofthe cake, the liquid being drawn through thecake into the interior ofthe cylinder for removal. The'cake may bey subjected to further drying to remove l (cl. 19o-1s) j tempting to .meer preeipltated wax freinr cold wax-bearing oil, or mixturesfof such oil and solvent, with a continuous or intermittent typeof filter where changev of temperature is involved, the initial filtering rate may be fairly high but it almost immediately decreases and. drops of!" exceedingly rapidly.. This is due torplugging up of the pores'or interstices ofthe filter fabric with hydrocarbons comprising consecutively submergwaxy material which has vbecome liquid and penetrated the. fabric'duringthe time the cake.vk

and filter surface is exposedin the relatively* warmer zone above the cold ltering. mixture.

.During ,this time the filter cake and the fi1ter cloth or fabric become substantially'wa'r'mer due v ings. t Contact with the .warmer gas and'exposure to the warm surrounding'sf causes. the wax -toV soften and redissolve inthe oil vadhering toor absorbed in the cake, or in the wash liquid, and this solution penetrates the fabric or filtering medium along with thek gas or air which isbeing drawn therethrough.l Upon submergenceof the tering surface soon becomes substantially kcompletely plugged and iltration is rendered practically impossible. l

I have. found that by completely enclosing and surrounding the exposed illteringrsurface, and

' circulating chilled gas throughthe surface during the time it is out of contact with the cold filteringmixture so as yto maintain the tem- #perature of the cake as well as that ofthe fabric at substantially `that of the coldmixture, or

nearly so, I am able to prevent the aforementioned plugging effect. By this means, I am able .to maintain a continual high economic rate of filtration. v g Y l.

In orderto better understand the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which disclosepreferred embodi-VY ments of the invention, and in which Fig. l is a diagrammatic `view of apparatus for carryingv out the method of the presentinvention; t Flg..2 is a diagrammatic viewof a modified arrangement, .illustrating t, the `invention as lapplied to a lter aid dewaxing process with'VA recovery` of illter aid;

Fig. 3-is a diagrammatic view of still another 'fabric in the cold. niixturein the bowl of th f ing solvent to the filter cake;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a continuous* filter suitable for carrying out thepresent invention, certain parts being broken away and in section in order to illustrate the construction thereof;

Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of a portion yof' the filtering surface;

Fig. 7 is a partial sectional view taken on the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3 8 of Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 1, the wax-bearing mineral oil, such as cylinder stock, is advantageously mixed with a solvent liquid or wax-fprecipitating medium. This solvent liquid may comprise a light petroleum fraction, such as naphtha or various otherV organic solvent liquids or mixtures thereof, including alcohols, ketones, aldehydes,

cyclic hydrocarbonabenzolor its homologues, or derivatives of these variousmaterials.

The mixture of oil and solvent liquid is delivered from a source not shown in the diagram and conducted through a chilling coil I wherein it may be cooled to a temperature of around 0 F. or below. The chilled mixture is then introduced to a mixer 2 wherein itis admixed if desired, with a comminuted solid filter aid material introduced to the mixer from a hopper 3. The mixer is preferably provided with a jacket into which a refrigerant may be introduced. or through which it may be circulated in order to maintain the mixture in a chilled condition. Y o

This chilled mixture of oil, precipitated wax and filter aid material is then conducted to the bowlzf' of a filter 4. This filter is advantageously of the continuous rotating drum type, somewhat similar in general principles to that employed heretofore in industrial .iiltrationg The exterior of the filter shell is'covered` with heat-insulating materialto facilitate maintaining the interior in a cool condition. y

During rotation of the hollow drum 5, the cylindrical surface thereof, comprisingv a filtering surface or medium formed from cloth or metal fabric or any porous' filtering material, passes through the body of filtering mixture maintained in the bowl 3' of the filter, and then .emerges therefrom during passage through the upieand hooded portion 6 of the filter.

The precipitated wax and admixedfllter aid material is deposited upon thelexterior and sub: merged portion of thesurface to' form a filter cake, while the solvent'arid dissolved oil are forced Y through the filter surface into the interior of the drum. The liquidwithin-the interior of the drun-l is withdrawn therefrom through the hollow rotating shaft L the filter valve 8, the pipe 9 in communication therewith, and into a. filtrate'storage tank HIJ 'The tank Ik is maintained under a reduced pressuregfby. means of vacuum exerted through a vacuumpunip o II communicating with the top of the tank through a pipe I2.'v

When that portion o f filter surface over'which lter cake is deposited emerges from the cold filtering, mixture into the hooded portion, of the filter, the application of vacuum upon theinterior of that portion of the surface .is continued -for the purposeyof removing mother' liquor contained in the cake. Upon further rotation, washamasar ing liquid, such as naphtha, for example, from a tank I3 is applied to the surface of the nlter cake through a pipe I4 and a nozzle I5 positioned within the hood G adjacent to the filter cake. 'I'his spray liquid is drawn through the cake into the interior of the drum and is separately withdrawn therefrom through the'hollow shaft l, filter valve l and pipe IO into the storage tank Il. The vacuum pump I I also communicates with the tank Il by means of a pipe I1 for the purpose of creating a vacuum in the tank and also within the interior of the filter drum. This vacuum is continued after the filter cake has advanced beyond the nozzle I5 to permit drying the cake and maintaining it in a cold condition by drawing cold gas therethrough as will now be explained in more detail.

While the vacuum pump II is shown as taking direct suction on the tanks `III and I3, it may be advantageous to interpose a foam' trap between these tanks and the vacuum pump to remove "entrainedmatter from the gas. Such a trap is The cooler I! comprises a column packed with Raschig rings or other'sultable packing means. Cooling liquid, preferably the solvent being used such as cold naphtha, at a temperature, for ex` ample, of about -40 F., is sprayed overlthe packing by which means it is brought into intimate contact with the gas passing upwards therethrough. The naphtha collecting in the bottom of the column, and at a temperature of about +40 F., is withdrawn by a pump 20 and passed through a chiller 2| wherein it is again chilled by interchanging heat with a refrigerant. Liquid ammonia may be expanded into the shell of the vchiller to effect the necessary refrigeration.

The temperature to which the naphtha is chilled depends on the extent to which it is desired to cool the gas, and this in turn depends upon the character of th'e solid material being Filtered. 'Usually it is desirable to keep the cake at substantially the same temperature as the rntering mixture. By maintaining the ybottom of the column at a temperature above +32 F. any water removed from the gas may be withdrawn from the bottom of the column. It is desirable to keep the circulatinggas free from water which might penetrate the cake and the fabric'and deter filtration.

The chilled gas at a temperature, for example, of about 30 F., is then conducted through a pipe 22 to the hood 6 of the filter wherein it surrounds the filtering surface during its emergence from the filtering solution. This chilled' gas is forced through the filter fabric prior tovandy subsequent tothe removal of the filter cake therefrom.4 In this way, the cake and the filter surface are continually maintained at a temperature substantially nearly the same as that of the cold mixture undergoing filtration; for' example, in this case at a temperature of from about 0 F. to 10 F.

To take care of gas losses, fresh gas may be drawn from the storage tank or gasometer 23 by the fan I8. Q The gas referred to herein may include air, flue gas, hydrocarbon vapor, fixed gases auch as `nitrogen and so forth.

I have found it of advantage to use -ue gas whichis relatively inexpensive.

' The cake is discharged from the lter'surface lafter washing and drying by introducing, for a Y from a suitable Vsource of supply, aszfor example,

the cooler I9.

The dislodged cake removed'from the filter surface falls through thev chutes 26 into a closed storage tank 21 from which it may be withdrawn lfor further treatment including the removal therefrom of retained Aoil and solvent as well as 1 for the Aseparation and recovery of the filter aid .materiaL While a vacuum type of continuous lter has been described, it is contemplated that the invention is equally well adapted `to pressure filtration wherein superatmospheric pressures may be maintained on the exterior .of the filtering surface.

Referring to Fig. 2,v there is disclosed a plant for filter` aid dewaxing by continuous filtration with continuous recovery'of filter aid, in which a foam trap is mounted between the filtrate and the wash solvent tanks and the vacuum pumpin the manner described above.Y Wax-bearing oil is supplied from line 30 by pump 3| through heat exchanger 32- and chilling coils 33 to a mixing tank 34, where it is mixedwith recovered filter aid supplied through chute 35. 'I'he mixture then passes by line 36 to an enclosed rotary vacuum `filter 31 `of the type described above, and which operates with a. continuous filtering cycle including pick-up or cake forming, washing, drying and cake discharge. In the cake forming `stage, filtered oil is discharged from thefvalve 38 drum, the separated gas passing by line 45` to the suction side of vacuum pump 46. Chilled wash solvent, supplied by pump 41 through chiller`4'l' and line 48 to the distributing means of the filter 31 at the washing stage of the filtering cycle, passes through the filter cake; and the mixed Wash solvent and extracted oil discharges through line 49 to solvent storage tank 58. The latter is connected by pipe to the common suction line 42 leading to the foam trap 43 and,

thence to suction pump 46 as described above.

The separated gas'is suppliediby pump 46 under pressure through a preliminary cooling tank 53 anda chiller 54 to`line 55, and thenthrough pressurereducing valve 56 to the interior of the filter casing, to continuously maintain the chilled gaseous atmosphere surrounding the filtering surface. Chilled gas at a suitablev presisure, such as about 2 to 5 pounds gauge, may be passed through branch 58 to the proper passage .in the valve 38 Voi the filter, to assistV in the discharge of the cake in the blow-back portion of the cycle. Dewaxed oil is withdrawn from tank 40 by pump 60 and supplied through lines 6| and 62 to the heat exchanger 32, where it serves to partially cool the incoming oil to be dewaxed; and then passes by line 63 toa suitable point of `storage for `distillation forflolvent re-l covery. The washnltrate -discharge may' be` in common with'the oil filtrate discharge, as shown, where' the wash filtrate is passedV froxn'tank 50 by pump t4 through lines 65 -a'nd 62 to discharge 63-for solvent recovery. Lines 4| andf5|-are during the pick-up' or cake forming'stag'e. vFor i examplepimproved results have been secured by maintaining a vacuum'v or pressure differential of about vl5 inches of -mercury on the filtering surface during the time that the filtering sur'iface'is'` immersed in the chilled wax-bearing mixture and when the cake is being built up on the filtering surface, and` a vacuum orY pressuredifferential `of about inches of mercury onthefiltering surface throughout the washing and drying vportion of the. cycle.v This is conveniently effected by adjustment of the valves- 4|* and 5|j`which controlthe application of suction to the mentioned stages' of the filtering cycle ,through the lines`39 and 49 respectively.

The mixed wax and filter aid continuously removed by blow-back 58, assisted if desired bya suitable scraper of defiector blade, falls vinto a` discharge trough 18 containing 'a scroll 1 I, which feeds the material to a discharge 12 terminating in' 'a -hopper 13, `which in'turn feeds through chute `14into-a hot mix tank 15. A solvent, such as vnaphtha, is supplied tothe 'tank by linej 16.

The tank-is equipped vwith a suitable agitator and a steam coilV or .iet (not shown)`, whereby the contents are mixed and heated to dissolve the waxin thesol'vent andv to form a pumpable' slurry ofthefilter aid suspendedin the 'wax solution; The slurry iswithdrawn through line 11 by pump 18 and passed by lln'e` 19\to aconf tinuousenclosed filter 88, which may be of simi- A.lar constructionv to the lter 31, operatingjwith stages of pick-up, washing, Adrying and Acake discharge. In rthe pick-upv or" cake.P forming stage ofthe'cycle, the; filtrate of wax solution is'dis'- chargedfthrough the line 82 into tank 83, from which the wax solution maybe withdrawn by pump 84 andy passed through line 85 forrecovery of thev solvent from the contained.. wax.v The upper portion of tank 83 communicates by lines 86 and`81 with a foam trap 88 having .agravity4 discharge leg 89 for any enti'alned liquid, and a gas discharge90 communicating with thesuction side ofavacuumjpump 9|` which dischargesv into an equalizlng tank`92. Gas from tank 92 passes through lines 93 and 94, the latter containing pressure reducing valve 95, tothe interior of the casing ofthe filter'88, to completetheg'as cycle which minimizes solvent loss. During thewashing stage on filter 80'`heated wash lsolvent,'such asnaphtha, supplied from line l96 by pump 91 through heater 98 and line 99, is' directed Lonto the formed-filtercake lto remove contained'wax solutionl therefrom. -The vresulting solution is Withdrawn ihrougiillrie |00 t Solution tank Inl, the' vapor spacev'of whichj is connected by line |02 with the common 'suctioniine a1 leading to" foam trap 88 and vacuum pump 9|.' The 'resulte ing solution is withdrawn from tank |8| byv pump |03 andreturnedby line 16 tovserve,asfsolventl liquid in the hotrmlx tank 15. "Pressure'gas from line 93 is supplied by'branchy line '|05 as bloW-. back tov remove the washedand drled cake of nlter aid material from nlte'r l0. VThis cake is discharged into chute Il, which returns the filter aidto mixer for reuse in the process.

, VA- pump |05 withdraws flue gas from a generator |01 through a scrubber and dehydrator |00,

and forces the gas under a controlled pressure intoa gasometer |08, which maintains a balanced pressure on the system. vFlue. gas is sup- 4to the desired pressure which is to bemaintained withinv the filter casings by suitable regulation of pump |05. l

It was formerly considered essential to employ filter aid kin connection with the dewaxing of certain distillateand residual oils by filtration. It has now been found that the use of filter aid can be dispensed v with in certain dewaxing processes employing filtration. This is advantageously accomplished-by the employment of certain selective solvents or solvent mixtures. which at lowered temperatures aresolvents for the oil, but in which the precipitated wax is substantially completely insoluble; or by the use of solvents'of low viscosity which give a crystalline wax on chilling. Examples of such selective solvents include a mixture of acetone and benzol, and a mixture of acetone, benzol and toluol; and propane is an example of thelatter. typeof; solvent of low'viscosity.` Very satisfactory results have been secured where a `solvent consisting of substantially 35% by volume of acetone and 65% by volume of benzol is employed in the ratio of from two to four parts of solvent mixture to one part of wax-bearing oil. -'In the case .of residual oils, a very satisfactory solvent mixture consists of about 28-35% acetone, ifi-57% benzol and -l8% toluol in substantially the same proportions of solvent mixture to oil'. In such case, it is also found highly desirable to wash with the same selective solvent mixture. By the use of a solventmixtureV of this character, the wax is precipitated in a formwhich admits of satisfactory filtration at commercial rates. By the Ause of such a selective solvent mixture for washingv the formedA wax filter cake, re-solution of some of the wax is avoided, and consequentlythe oil removed in the wash stage has substantially the same pour test as the filtrate, whereby the two `may be mixed to give an increased dewaxed oil yield of the desired low pour test. l When this is coupled with a gas recirculation system of the character disclosed herein, which maintains the filtering surface at all times at substantially the temperature of the waxbearing mixture being filtered, successfulioperation of the fllter'over substantial periodsof time is assured. Thus, by the cooperation of the several features, including the precipitation of the wax in a Vmore suitable form for filtration, the maintenance of the filtering surface vin a condition of high effectiveness, and the avoidance of re-solution Vof the wax cake, separation of wax by continuous filtration may be accomplished without the use of filter` aid.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown a simplified plant for continuous filtration, in vwhich filter aid is not employed. The chilled waxbearing oil is supplied through line to feed arena:

ma m. ma thence by une m controlled by valve |24- to continuous enclosed filter indicated generally at |24. A drain line |25 controlled by valve |25 is provided for draining the filter tank.; i

'I'he continuous filter may be of the type previously described, operating with stages of pickup, washing, drying and cake discharge. In the pick-up or cake forming stage of the cycle,

filtrate is discharged from the usual control4T valve |20 throughl line |29 to tank |30. Wash |33. 'I'he upper portions cftanlrsv |30 and |35 communicate through lines and |31, respectively provided withvalves |35and |39, with a common suction line |40 leading to a foam trap |4| having a gravity discharge leg |42. Gas is withdrawn from 'foam trap |4| through line |43 by vacuum pump |44, and supplied underlow pressure to preliminary cooler and thence through chiller |45 and line 41 containing presvsure reducing valve |48 to the interior of the closed filter casing to maintain the-chilled gaseous atmosphere therein.

Where a solvent.l mixture of the character offv acetone-benzol'is employed for dewaxing, it is found desirable to u se an indirect chiller'. |45, rather thar 4 the direct chiller shown vin Fig'. l. Forexample, the chiller maybeof suitable heat exchanger construction, having a bank of tubes through which the gas passesin indirect'heat exchanger relationship with a refrigerant,l such for example y.as chilled brine, ammonia, SO2 or other suitable refrigerant. A branch line |49 leads from chiller |45 to an auxiliary pump |50,

.gasometer |55. From the latter, gas is supplied 2filtrate is discharged through line |32 to tank through line to line |41 beyond valve |40,

and ythus to the interior of the filter casing, to make up for any gas loss and to maintain the quantity and pressure of gas within the circulating system. Inasmuch as the gas loss is very small, the quantity of gas passing from the gasometer to the, filter casing is insufficient to materially affect the temperature ofV the gaseous atmosphere therein.

Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically and in outline 'a rotary vacuum continuous filterof the type used in Fig. .1 to 3 for wax filtration, with the fllteringy cycle indicated thereon. rThe filtering surface is shown at |1||,A and is divided by division strips 1| into a plurality of longitudinal segmentafindicated as 2,4 in vnumber about the periphery of the filter, although of course' the number may bevaried. The customary filter valve which controls the application of suction and the'` supply of pressure blow-back gas to the interior of the filtering segments at various stages in the cycle of rotation of the filter, is indicated Aat |12. The liquid level of the chilled wax-bearing mixture within the vat or casing of the filter is shown at |13. The filter rotates in the direction of the arrow |14, and cake formation starts at |15. Atrthis'point. the filter u valve opens to communicate suction to the lter-V ing surface, which suction continues throughout the extent of the immersed portionof` the filter,

to provide the pick-up'or cake forming'uarea y|16.

.'I'hefiltered oil fromv this section is discharged through the filtratezline as previously, described.

As the lteringsegments consecutively emerge ing surface, which causes the chilled gaseous atmosphere surrounding the filter to act upon'fthe cake. during the drying stage |80, to Adrain or strip retained oil from the cake. The washing .of the drained cake then commences, asjindi-A cated at I8I. y

So far as I am awareall prior suggestions for washing a wax cake on a filter have beento l apply sprays of washing solvent thereto. I have discovered that superior resultsl are obtained by supplying the washingy solvent to the cake in theform of a continuous liquid film 'which iiows continuously onto the cake. This is accomplished by the weir feed, comprising the trough |82 which is mounted yto extend longitudinally "throughout the length ofthe lter, beingsupported in any suitable manner from the casing walls. Washing solvent is continuously supplied to the trough by"supply pipe |83 so as to maintain a continuous overowat ,the Weir |80. 'I'his forms a sheet or vfilm of liquid throughout the length of` the filter, which flows down an inclined guide |85 onto the filter cake in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the filter. Sufiicient washing liquid is supplied so as to maintaina thin liquid film over the exposed portion of the filtering surface substantially throughout the extent of the washing zone indicated at |86, the film being of course thicker at the upper portion adjacent the weir feed. The outer portion of the film flows downwardly over the filter cake countercurrent to the direction of the rotation of the filter, while the inner portionof the film adjacent thecake assumes movement along with the filter cake. The pressure differential existing upon opposite sides of the cake land liquid `film, tends to force the -wash liquid down into the cake to'displace remaining oil therefrom. Preferably, the quantity of wash liquid supplied, and the extent of the` washing zone, is controlled to afford substantially complete displacement of retained oil from the cake, while avoiding the use of an excess of solvent which would needlessly drain` through the cake after oil has been expelled. This displacement wer wash affords economy lin-the use of wash solvent, obtains an increased yield of dewaxed oil, and avoids solvent loss which I have found toi'be inherent in the use of sprays, when volatile solvents are employed.

Following the washing zone, the cake is then subjected tofurther pressure differential during the drying stage |88, at which time cold gas from the atmosphere surrounding the filter is drawn through the ltering surface to displace 'wash solvent as well as to maintain the filtering surj face chilled to a low temperature. The liquids and gases drawn through the filter during the zone from |19 to |88, at which latter point the discharge passage is closedby the valve, are discharged through the wash solvent line as previously described. A full block |90 separates the terminationv of the vacuum andthe initiation of blowfback at|9i.` At this point, chilled gasunder pressureisdischarged throughr the n rpassage in the valve to'theuinteriorsof the segments of the filter, #causing distention vof the filter cloth asindicated at |82.` vassisted bythejscraper|93,"serves to` remove the formed and dried filtercake. The reverse'flow of chilled gas or blow-backterminates jat |84, and a; full block indicatedat |95vseparates'thetermination of 'the'cake discharge` zone from the beginning cycle is repeated. y n

c In fdewaxingI ,byy pressure filtration, it `has been customary -to employ pressures, of from about of the rcake forming,v zone at l'lfwhereupon the foto oofpoundsper squareA inch or. higher. In

applyingthe principles of pressure',` `filtration tor an enclosed vacuum filter, the, obvious thing is to use a gas pressurewithin the filter casing ofv substantially thisA amount, Mini. order n to` increase v the pressure` differential" acting onjthe filteringv surface, witha view to increasing fil-v` ltering'rates and capacity. I have found, however, that instead of being'beneiicial, such increased pressures may beyatually harmful, `due Y to the reduction in filterirgffrates. This' is' apparently vdue tothe fact Y, that' the waxcake,l

tends to compact under the increased pressure, thereby` losing its pervius' fo rm of interwoven crystals, and becoming more'or lessl of va slimy imperviousimass." In accordance with the "present invention, the 'u chilled 'gaseousatmosphere!` e within :the viiltercasing' vis purposely maintained at'such a pressure that a pressuredifferential on "thejfiltering surface equivalent to notA more than about 15 to 20 poundsper square inchjisaffo'rded. This'is preferably 'accomplished by' maina taining the gaseousv atmosphere within theiilter casing at substamtially'atmospheric pressure, `or

at, onlya few pounds above atmospheric'l pressure,

the pressure diierentialfbeing then secured'byv means of vacuumappliedbyithevacuum pump.:

yThis is` efiectedin Figs. Zand 3 by staging down the pressureof the gas being vreturned tothe filter casing, as bythe pressure .reducin'g,valves 56 and |48 respectively. This' has' the further advantage of" minimizingfgas leakage, thereby c avoiding loss of associated solvent vapor.

`Previous practice in connection with enclosed vacuum filters employing a pressure gas atmosf phere therein, has been to either enclose the entire filter in alarga casing Vforrningin effect y Va filtering room,vor'tofattempt to secure the 'cover of the filter casing to the vatY creasing proper is gas tight relationship byy bolting' with the aid of sealing gaskets.` The former'pr'actice is highly expensive; andthe latter practice has the objection that frequent removal of the cover, which is `necessary for adjustment, repairor replacement of parts, renders it diiliculttol maintain the proper sealing relationship when the cover is replaced.

The presentinvention overcomes these objections in the manner shown inA Fig. l15,'in'which a commercial formfofuenclosed vacuum @filter is shown inl end elevation. The iilter casing 200 lisxformed. ,at its upper endwlth an 'outwardly extending flange 20|." Entirelyv about the'inner 1periphery of theupper portionof casing Y200 is a narrow trough 2702, 'to which is suppliedy a `suitable sealing liquid 203. The removable cover 204 yis formed with a surrounding reinforcing bar 202iV carryingan outwardly extending flange A206 adapted to seat upon the` flange 20| to support the cover. The latter carries-a'ldownwardly exmaintained'within the filter casing, a comparatively shallow trough .202 suflices to maintain the liquid seal. V The cover is equipped with longit'udinally extending handles 208'at opposite sides thereof, by which the cover may be attached to suitable chains or hooks of a conventional lifting mechanism or hoist, so that the cover may -beeasily and instantly removed andreplaced.

fPrior practice ingthe' construction of rotary drum lters of the lcharacter disclosed herein, has been to fastenthe filtering cloth over the filter .by `means of an exteriorwire wrapping,

generally in the fermer a splrauy wound wire. 1

- have found that this `may interfere with the satisfactory` discharge of awax cake. The scraper or deiiector, which assists in removal. of ythe cake, generallybears against or near this outer wire wrapping.l Consequently. there ,is a sublstantialsgap between the scraper and thefilteringsurface depending on the size of the wire used; Due to the peculiar natureof the wax cake, a portion fof the wax tends to be ,retained about the wires on either sidey thereof, which eventuallymay slime or plug the filtering surfaceto a certainextent, reducingfiltering rates. This is overcome in accordance with the present invention by the construction shown in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive. Two ofthe longitudinal segments ofthe segments being indicatedat 2li. and the division between two segments at 2li. Individual filterV clothsA 2l2 are provided foreach segment. Along the end surfaces of each segment. as indicated at 12H; the filter cloth is caulked in place within a. mortise and tenori type of groove 2M (Fig, 7) extending about the pe'- riphery of the blocks 2|0.` The filter cloth is laid over the grooves, with a substantial extent overlapping the blocks 2N;V and then a cotton rope or other suitable cord is pounded into the groove as shown at 2lb, thereby forcing the filter cloth securely into the groove and lockingit in place therein. 'Ihe construction is such that vthe adjacent portions yof the cloth at the upper end of the groove, indicatedy at 2IS, are substantially in contact witheach Aother.Y Fig. 8 shows the. vmanner in which the side edges ofthe individual filter cloths are fastened in place. 2|! isa division strip which extends longitudinally of the filter,land is provided with a slmilargroqve 2i9. yOverlapping portionssoftwo adjacent cloths 2|2 are secured within the groove by a longitudinally extending caulking rope 220. kThe 'i cient discharge ofthe calce.` -v

outer surfaces of the cloths arethus free and fully exposed, giving full filtering area, and enabling the cloths to be more euectively distended by the blow-back gas, to thereby secure an efii- The advantages'of continuous filtration on rotary vacuum filters orv analogous -continuous filters as opposed to intermittent'V filtration on pressure filters orfilter presses, has long been recognized in the filtration art generally. 'I'here have been lscattered proposals to employ continuous rotaryfilters for dewaxing. The fact Aremains, however, that priorvto the invention disclosed herein, `the dewaxing art continued to employ the old intermittent pressure filters or filter presses. Successful dewaxing on continuous filters on a commercial scale was not achieved until features of the present invention were incorporated. The advantages of this method of continuous filtration over the heretofore used intermittent pressure filtration include such considerations as greatly increasedplant capacityl for a 'given amountfof ,fllten area, simplified plant operation;y simplified means of applying a `dis-v throughout a long period of continuous'operation,

and y i Second:;The inability to `continuously form a filter cake at commercially 'practical rates which s could be satisfactorily removed from lthe continuously rotatinglfilter.

The first reason for failure asl notedabove,

lconsiderable reduction.` in 1 has been overcome by aV combination of features of the present invention, including the chilled gas recirculation/system which maintains the filtering surfaceat all times at a temperature approximating thatof the chilledVwax-bearing mixture being'filtered," such as to prevent re-solutlon of the wax'with plugging ofthe Afilter cloth; the

use of wax-bearing mixtures resulting from soly yent dewaxin'g of suchv character that the lpreofva V.conventional filter are shown, the annular sealing blocks'for the, ends of the filter chambers cipitated wax is in a better: form for filtration;

`the employmentl for washing of the cake of a selective solvent 'mixture'of such character that the wax is substantially completely insoluble therein at the temperature of treatment; and the use offiltration pressures or pressure differentials,

together with a reduced filtering timeper cycle i to which'jthewax cake is subjected to such pressure differential, such that compactlng of the cake down 'into the pores of the -filter-cloth is avoidedT y Y Y l r .In explanation of thes'econ'd reason for failure noted above', comparison is4 herein: made with the customary practice of dewaxing on intermittent pressure filters. A typicalfilteringz cycle vonrthel latter is the following:

The periodof filtration, in `which the filter press or pressure filter is filled with the chilled wax-bearing mixture under pressure, and the oil forced through the filter cloths while the wax ,builds upin a cake on the exterior thereof, gen-4 erallyl consuming .about 20- to 30 minutes; the period of blow-back, in which the wax-bearing mixture remaining in the filter at the termination of the filtering operation is blown back to period, of removing the wax cake from the filter, generally consuming about 10 minutes. It is thus apparentvthat the overall filtering cycle consumes approximately 50 to' 65 minutes, in

Y which less than 50% of that time isemployed in actual wax filtration; A

Applying the above periods of time to a continuous filtration cycle necessitates that rotate at an extremely low rate of speed, given difficulties in the drive and reduction gearing the filterA V.plied to the filter cake to remove retained solvent', generally consuming about 10 minutes; andthemore than 4 minutes per cycle.

objection has been satisfactorily overcome, and a cake forming time of as short as from .about -1 to 4 minutes or even less has been made practicable. This is accomplished by the use of a wax crystal 4modifying material of suchy .character that crystal formation .is modified upon chilling the wax-bearing oil in thc presence of such maferial, coupled with'other features of the 'present invention including the comparatively low pressure differential which' avoids compacting ofthe cake. By the use of waxcrystal modifying materials of this character, filtration rates of the oil may be increased as much as 100% or more.

`'I'his is of peculiarcooperation with continuous filtration, becauseit enables a cake of -satisfactory thickness to be built up while employing a commercially practicalv rate of rotation: of the filter, such as to give a cake. forming time of not In addition, it is pointed out that a 100% increasein filtration rate on a continuous filter results in' a `100% increase-in capacityof the plant; whereas, a sim-k ilar increase in filtration rate in an intermittent filtration process gives only a fraction of such increase in plant capacity, due to the fact that the actual filtering time is only -a fraction of the complete operating time in the cycle. I

Various wax crystal modifying materials vmay be employed for this purpose, suchfor example,

as a cracked pitchy residue resulting from the recraoking of a cracked'cycle fuel, as' set forthin co-pending application Serial No. 686,244, filed August 22, 1933; the high vacuum distillation residue of a condensation product of naphthalene in the presence of valuminum chloride,as de scribed in co-pending ,application Serial No. 710,564, filed March 21, 1934. Also', other types of wax crystal modifying 'materials, such as a condensation product of a chlorinatedwax with an aromatic hydrocarbon in the presence of Aaluminum chloride,` certain mineral oil distillation residues, coal tar residues, etc., may beused for this purpose. As the methods of forming such materials and of using themas wax crystal modifying materials generally, form no Hpart' of the present invention, apart from their particular adaptation to continuous filtration, no further description thereofis thought needed. However, it may be stated that such materials are generally added in a proportion of from about 0.3% to 6% by weight on the weight of the wax-bearing oil and are dissolved in the oil; the oil is then chilled in the presence of the materials, and wax is precipitated in a resulting form which increases filtration rates.

In accordance with the present invention, there is coupled with the increased filtration rates attributable to solvent dewaxing with ',the solvent mixtures specifiedabove, and the use of wax crystal modifying materials, a coordinated control of the pick-up or cake .forming time. soas to employ only the highest or peak portion of the nitrati@ rates' during continuous nltr'anoh. In explanation, it is pointed .outA that Vthe actual rate of ow of a ltrate for agivenrlengthof filtering time at' a constant effective pressure difl ferentlal is about the same for both a pressure filter and a vacuum filter. `The highestrateof flow is at lthe beginningofv the filtering` period, y

and this rapidlydecreases as `the thicknessof rthe deposit of solids increasesbeyond a certain value.

In an intermittent pressurey filter, for example,

substantially 70% to 80% of the/filtrate may pass through the filter in thefirst 2 to 4 minutes of the filtering time. Continuedpplication of the .pressure ,upon the cake thus builtl upcompacts this cake, so that the filtering rate then drops off rapidly. However, due to the length of' time consumed in the 'other treatments. ofy wash-V ing, drying, dumping of the cake'. etc.inf,the intermittent filtration cycle, it ismcommercially .impractical to terminate ythe filtrationfperid 1 until a cake approaching about 1". in thickness L'nas-been built up, which as set forth above'nor'- mally requires-fromabout to 30minutes. vOn- -the other hand, the cakev forming'timel ofthe.y present method of continuous filtration is limited to onlythat initial part of the filtration period of the intermittent filter, in which substantially the highest filtering rates occur.: This further .improvesfthe overall efiiciencyof vthe continuous filtration, giving a materially increased-'plant capacity. For example, the cake forming-time isY coordinated `with the filtration rate so that only the ,highflltration rates normally obtained with an uncompactedcakejof a thickness less thanv 1/2" are utilized, such a` cake forming time being y generally not more than 4 minutes in extent, and `often as little as 1 minuteI or'less. Nevertheless,

with such a short period ofcake formation, the

high filtration rates .enable arwaxfcake of a. [thickness in excessof 1/4" to be formed; and often a Vcake of about to 1/2'1 or ,more in thickness results. This is readily? removed in continuous operation.`

The successive steps of thev filtering cycle arel also performed in proportionatelyshort intervals of time.` In connection with the washing time,

it is vfound :that the,v yields j ofdewaxed oil increase with an increase in ratio of washing time to pick-up time.l 'Ordinarily, fa .washingl time which is not less than one-third the pick-up time is employed,.which means that the peripheral extent of the washin'gzone'isat least one-third the peripheral extent of the pick-up or "cake forming zone; `andthe highestylelds appear to 'be obtained when the washingtimeis increased so as to` be substantially equal to [the pick-up time. However, ,the Iactual differences in yields. of dewaxed o ilfor variation in the' washing time from one-third the pick-uptime to a Atime [equal to the pick-up time, are comparatively small, so that operations Within this range are. satisfactory., The resulting 'average orcycle rate of fflow of the continuousfllteroperating inaccordance withthe present .invention is thus much higher than that commonly obtained on anin-.l

termittent filter. By way of example, a filtration rate of about 0.4 to 0.6 gallons of Vwax-,free oil yper hour per square footof filtering surface is considered a very-satisfactory rate for an inter- -mittent pressure filter. By operating in accordance with the present invention. a filtration rateof from 2.0 to as high as 3.5 gallons per hour persquare foot of` filtering surface hasI been ob' tained, thus givinga plant `capacity.' of about four ormore times thatof the intermittent filter.

s At the same time, the dewaxed oil yield is increased, due to the superiorwashing and drying oi' the cake. For example, a dewax'ed oil yield of about 80% to 85% has been regularly obtained in practic'ze,l as compared to a dewaxed oil Vyield 6r' around 75% or lower onthe yintermittent pressure filter.v 1

VThe following are examples of results obtained in the dewaxing of oilby continuous nltration without the employment of Aillter aid in accordance with the present invention: A l

A Mid-Continent distillate oil and an Illinoisl Kentucky distillate oil were employed, these oils having the following tests:`

Mid-Con- Illinoistlnent Kentucky Gravity, "'A. P. I 2l. 7 23.1 Fissa-"1F 45o 46o Fire, F 550 550 vis. 21oF 7i so Pour test, F-'. 105 90 A selective'solvent mixtureicomposedof acetone 35%, benzol 52% andtoluol 13% 'was employed in theratio of 4.parts ofvsolvent to 1 part kof ycharge stock.v The oil was then-,chilled to aA temperature of about 10 F. or slightly ulower, and the chilled wax-bearing mixture passed to the continuous filter. 'I'he lfollowing tabulation indicates the operations and results obtained:

Mid- Midm K K' Cont. Cont. y y' 'run #l run #2 n m n Filtering temperature, aF

Wax dist. mix -9 -13 -13 Wash solvent -4 -10 -12 -12 Time of filtration in secs.

Pick-up stage.- 120 120 120 60 Drying stage. 40 30 10 10 Washing stage. 40 00 60 60 Drying stage... 40 30 50 50 CakeA discharge stage 48 48 48 i 35 Total cycle time in minutes 4. 8 4.8 4. 8 3. 6 Cycles per hour f 12.6 12.6 12. 6 16. 8 Cake thickness in inches 9i Filtering rate of dewaxed oil in gai/sq. ft./hr.-.. 2.6 2.5 2. 7 3.0 Yields percent by weight:

Dewaxed oil 80. 3 82. 9 82.3 85. 6 Slack wax 19. 7 17. l 17. 7 14. 4 Solid point F. of dewaxed 1 oi -8 -12 -10 -8 Dewaxing differential F-. 1 1 3 6 'While the invention hasbeen described in connection with the separation ofwax from waxbearing oils, it is'to be understood that it is also applicable to the removal of similar types of solid jmaterials from liquids vwherein it is desirableto maintain the resulting cakeof'solids ata temperature below that at which the solids tend to liquefy and reach a condition where they penetrate the fabric and ultimately result in pluggms, l i

Obviously many modiflcationsand variations of the invention, as hereinbefore set forth, may be made without departing fromfthe spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In the continuous 'process of' dewaxing mineral oil by continuously filtering the chilled waxbearing mixture at temperatures of around 0 F. or lower, and wherein a wax lter cakeis'continuously formed on a moveable filtering surface which consecutively submerges `within the chilled mixture to deposit a filter cake thereon, and then emerges from the chilled ,mixture after which vthe said cake on theemerged filtering surface is ing operations, Ithe gaseous atmosphere having -a temperatureapproxim'ating that of the chilled wax-bearing mixture'being filtered, supplying a .chilled solvent mixture in which the wax is substantially yinsoluble rfor rthe washing operation and applying the said solvent mixture to the wax cake on the filtering surface by-fiowing .the solvent mixture by gravity onto the wax cake to forma continuousliquid film on the said cake, and regulating the pressure differential on the filtering" surface during the washing and drying operations so as, to maintain said-pressure differentialat less than twentypounds per square inch to avoid compactingfof the wax cake.

2. The method of continuouslyseparating wax from a wax slurry on a rotary Vfilter, element mounted within a filter casing having an enclosing cover, which comprises immersing said element'in a wax slurry under a pressure differential sumcient to force filtrate through the element and to build-,up a wax cake thereon, removing the filter cake from the` slurry, washing said filter cake, .drying said cake by means of a stripping gas, continuously removing saidcake from said element, introducing a stripping medium into said casing to provide a chilled gaseous atmosphere therein between said-filter casing with enclosing cover and said filter element, which gas- -14 f mating that of the wax slurry being filtered and cous atmosphere is at a temperature approxisupplies-fsaidstripping gas, and regulating the pressure of the said gaseous atmosphere and the pressure differential through said filter element to maintain a pressure differential throughsaid filter element which is less than 20#/sq. in.v to

, avoldjobjectionable compression of the said wax cairel on the filterelement.Y

3. 'I'he method of. continuously separating wax froml a wax slurry, on a rotary filter element mounted within afilter casing having an enclosing cover, which comprises immersing saidk element in a wax slurry under a pressure difierential sufiicient to force filtrate through the element andto build up a wax lcake thereon, removing the filter cake fromthe slurry, washing said filter cake, drying saidcake by means of a stripping gas, continuously removing said cake from said element, introducing a stripping medium into said casing toprovide a chilled gaseous atmosphere therein between said filter casing with enclosing cover and lsaid filter element, which gaseous atmosphere is at a temperature approximating that of the wax slurry being filtered and supplies said stripping gas, and regulating the pressure of the said gaseous atmosphere and the pressure diferentialthrough said filter element to maintain a pressure differential through said filter element which is less than 15#/sq. in to avoid Vobjectionable compression of the said wax cake on the filter element.

4. The method of continuously separating wax from` a wax slurry on a rotary filter` element mounted within a filter casing having enclosing cover, which comprises immersingthe said element ina wax slurry under a pressure differential sufllcient to force filtrate throughthe element ment, which gaseous -atmosphere is at a temperature approximating that of the wax slurry being tlitered. and supplies 'said stripping gas, andv regulating thepressure of the `said gaseous atmosphere and the pressure diiierential through said filter element to maintain a pressure diierential through said illter element which is lesa v than iifteen pounds per square inch to avoid ob- Jectionable compression of the said` wax cake on wnmm r. om.

v the nlter'element. 

